


Like/Love

by redex (urvogel)



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Mixed Bag, Mostly Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-27
Updated: 2007-04-26
Packaged: 2018-12-02 16:51:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11513484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urvogel/pseuds/redex
Summary: A series of interconnected ShikaTema drabbles. Shikamaru doesn't like a lot of things, including her. Asuma helps clear a few things up, however.





	1. Second Oddest Couple

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on fanfiction.net as individual stories. Please bear in mind most of these were written in 2005 and therefore may not comply with canon as of about Volume 31/Chapter 280/shortly after first timeskip.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laying in fields watching the sky is good bonding time, and so are nights spent in small beds.

They were not the oddest couple in the village. That position was already taken by Naruto and Sasuke.

But when Temari found him lying in the grass and watching the sky and thought briefly how much older that jacket made him look she greeted him with "Idiot". And when she sat down beside him and smoothed out her skirts, but let it still show a little leg, he smiled at her and said "Bitch".

And when they watched the clouds, ignoring the things they should be, could be doing, they still argued over whether it was a shurikan or a flower. Shikamaru thought it was a flower, she thought it was a shurikan.

And when she grinned Shikamaru thought about... well, nothing. Not words, just a feeling. When he smiled, she wondered what he would taste like. Maybe his own cooking.

She remembered the time that she had found out that he could cook. She had teased him, saying, wasn't there a woman to do that for him?

But he frowned and looked away, just slightly. No, he had said. My mother's dead.

 _Oh._ was all she said, knowing that any apologies would be worthless. She knew a lot of dead people.

But now she was thinking about the black fishnet that showed when he pulled up his sleeves, and she asked him about it, teasing.

He says he just likes the way it looks. She does too, and wants to see more of it, but doesn't say so.

She's watching him, her head resting on her arm on the grass on the ground. She forgets that he can see her watching him, sometimes. He lets her do it.

So that one night when she shows up at his window and asks for somewhere to stay, he ignores the fact that he's only wearing a pair of baggy pants and lets her in. She looks around his small room while he glides around in the dark, finding a cushion, a blanket, a pillow. But then she remembers that she can't stay, that she's supposed to report to the Hokage... but he shakes his head. He wasn't Sakura, but it didn't take any kind of genius to know that running on empty and waking up Tsunade-sama in the middle of the night would only make things bad.

He told himself that he didn't just want her to stay. He told her to stay quiet because his dad was in the next room, and she must have been tired because she didn't say what he expected to hear.

That would be hard, she mused, setting down her fan in a corner, if you were planning on... And she stops, realizing how much she was giving away, but there's no way to take it back and he's supposed to be smarter than her anyways, so he'd see right through it.

But he's smirking and sitting on his bed, resting his head on his hand on his elbow on his knee and watching as she pulls off her gloves and shoes as if it was the sexiest strip dance he had ever seen. She thought that maybe she was blushing, but she couldn't be sure, because she knew that adrenaline plus over-tiredness plus relief of anxiety was a rush and she was on it.

He stood up slowly when she stepped towards him and he looked deadly serious, as if lives hung on the balance of his decisions. But it was just two lives, she found herself thinking. Him and her...

And he bent a little, holding the top of her arm with a firm but gentle hand and kissed her.

And she found the side of his face with her fingertips as their mouths moved together, and he took his time in the way that he always did, even though she had one hand on his chest and his heart was beating so fast...

_I thought you didn't like girls._

_I don't. I like you._

But when they stopped, Shikamaru smoothing the skin of her hand with his fingers, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She sighed as he man-powered her onto his bed and lay down next to her, pulling the sheets up to their shoulders and she nuzzled his neck, thinking that he really did taste like leeks and onion, his own.

How romantic, she murmured, as he hugged her close even though he was stiff and acting tough, but he really didn't need to act because she knew he was like this and liked it.

The next morning when she showed up in breakfast his father just raised his eyebrows and Shikamaru just shrugged so Temari got introduced to the older, more worn version of Shikamaru. She decided that she liked him while Shikamaru ate quietly and explained to his father that she was supposed to go meet with the Hokage as soon as possible, so he offered to walk with her.

They stood at the doorway and he explained that he had things to do, so she stepped forward close and kissed him even though his father was right there. She liked that she had surprised him, his eyebrows shot up and out of their constant frowning crease, and he smirked.

I'll find you before I leave again, she said, adding, you grouchy bastard.

His eyes were soft and he nodded as she turned to walk away with his father and waved over her shoulder.

He looked up at the sky and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't help but smile.


	2. Useful Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temari really does just go after what she wants, and if you're what she wants... watch out.

She had him cornered and he knew it.

Physically, she was standing between him and the door, but he was trapped in another way as well.

"Take me out to dinner."

He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Aren't I supposed to ask you, woman?"

She bristled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't be so sexist; that's old fashioned. Women these days go after what they want."

His eyelids lowered, but she knew he was still watching her. "So you're going after what you want, eh?"

Confidence returning, she placed her hands on her hips and smirked right back.

"Tonight?" he questioned, meeting her eyes. She shrugged and looked away.

"Whatever. I don't know any good places here."

"Fine."

So, that was how they ended up walking side-by side down the brightly lit streets, the usual banter and casual conversation making passers-by smile.

When they arrived at a fancy restaurant, Temari raised her eyebrows. "Can you even afford this?"

"Probably. Just don't go crazy."

"Whatever you say, genius-boy."

When the meal was finished and they were sipping warm drinks, Temari coffee and Shikamaru tea, the bill came. Shikamaru grimaced at it, but dug into his pocket anyways while Temari looked discreetly into her cup. There was no purpose in her feeling guilty for roping him into this. He wanted to, didn't he?

"Alright, are you done?"

"Yeah."

Outside it was raining.

"Where are you staying?"

"Ryuuji's Inn downtown," Temari responded, eyeing the purple-grey sky above her from under the door's overhang.

"I'll walk you."

"I don't need your protection." She turned and headed down the side of the building, moving from under one overhang to another.

"I know," Shikamaru answered from beside her, out in the rain.

The rest of their walk was in silence except for the continual white noise of the rain hitting the packed ground.

At the entrance of the modest inn they stopped, Shikamaru stepping into the doorway, dripping, searching for appropriate words.

She was the one who stepped forward again, always reminding him of who was the _older_ , _smarter_ , more _experienced_ one was.

And she kissed him, resting one hand on flat on his chest as if to push him away, but it was quick and fleeting, leaving him a little flustered, but not enough to do more than open his eyes a little wider.

"Thanks for dinner." She grinned, taking pride in her ability to scratch that bored exterior.

"Yeah, no problem."

An uneasy silence.

"How long will you be in the valley?"

"Just tomorrow. Why, you have something in mind?"

"Can I pick you up tomorrow morning?" The cool attitude was back up, even though Shikamaru was still whirling inside from that kiss. His father was right; woman did know how to make you crazy.

"Ten."

"Alright."

Temari had no idea what he was planning, and neither did he, but the meeting was set and she waved over her shoulder at him as she headed into the warm light of the inn.

Shikamaru sighed to himself and headed off into the rain again. It was troublesome to have to walk all the way back home, but there weren't any other options. At least it would give him a chance to think.


	3. Disconnected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extenuating circumstances. A woman must never allow herself to be controlled by men. A woman must always be true to herself. Love breaks the rules.

They weren't dating.

When she left the meeting he was standing beside the door waiting for her, smoking one of his innumerable cigarettes. She knew how, and why, he started, but the words had never passed between them. 

She asks: "Have you been waiting long?"

He replies: "I just got here."

She knows that the pile of buts beside his foot means he's been waiting a while, and she also knows that he left them there intentionally.

He walks her to her intermittent apartment in the Leaf Hokage's compound and stands in the door while she takes her fan off and stretches to the roof. Then, she acknowledges him. 

"Come here."

He buts out in a strategically placed ashtray and steps forward, smiling.

Sometimes he complains about how troublesome her high libido is, but she knows that he really likes it. She can tell when he really needs sex, and these times usually coincide with a moment in which she is willing to put out. 

She remembers kissing him for the first time and being surprised that he didn't have to be taught how. She knew it was his team that had taught him, but things like that had never gotten in the way of things like this. All the better - now they could move on to something more interesting.

Sex moves easily between them, and she finds more pleasure in his body than she thought she ever could in a man. He seems to agree, because he hasn't left her yet. They don't kiss or hold hands in public, because that would be too cheesy, but she can tell he wants to sometimes. Wants to be a normal couple like all his friends. 

But, since tomorrow is Sunday, instead of watching television all day or going out to get an ice cream, they walk down the street and around a corner to visit a mother and her child. 

She is still awkward every time they make this visit together, but she has come to respect and appreciate the strong woman that stands before her. She is horrible with children and the moment the child is placed in her arms it starts wailing, but he is perfect with it. Watching them play together on the floor reminds her of Gaara as a child, but also makes her wonder about what this man would be like as a father. 

They don't talk about this kind of thing, but it hovers in the air as they pass their years together. Finally, it comes to a head.

"I won't let you end up like her."

Lying in bed, being cooled by the cool Suna night air. 

"I'm a princess of the sand, you know."

"I know. Troublesome woman."

Her body aches pleasantly as she rolls over to rest her cheek on his shoulder. His fingers rub against the back of her neck, but he doesn't look down. He's not smoking, though, and that's a sign for her to interpret.

"In Suna ninjas aren't allowed to marry each other."

"Your little brother is the hokage."

There aren't many more arguments, so she gives in and closes her eyes.

"Go to sleep, idiot."


	4. Like/Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru doesn't like a lot of things, including her. Asuma helps clear a few things up, however.

Shikamaru doesn't like the colour black, but it doesn't stain red, so he wears it.

He doesn't like training, but it beats dying, so he does it.

He doesn't like responsibility, but he knows he's good at it, so he puts up with it.

He doesn't like death, but there are no choices sometimes, so he can do it.

He doesn't like being smart, but it gives him some advantage, where there wouldn't be otherwise, so he is.

He doesn't like being with other people all the time, but they're his team, so he compromises.

He doesn't like being ordered around, but it makes it easier to pretend to be stupid, so he listens.

He doesn't like a lot of things, but he knows it doesn't matter, so he deals with it.

There is a train of thought that eventually arrives at this resignation, and there is one train that hasn't arrived yet.

He doesn't like bossy, arrogant, pushy women, but he does seem to love them, so... what?

Why is it that you can fall in love with someone you don't even like? he asks Asuma. He is the only person who doesn't look at him oddly when he asks the profound questions that run around in his head.

You don't have to like someone to love them, Asuma says, smiling a little around his cigarette. That's the whole point of love: it's irrational.

So love overrides like?

So he loves her?

He sighs and lays back watching the smoke trail up and disappear in the sky.

He's going to have to complain about her a little less now.

He doesn't like bossy, arrogant, pushy women, but he does love Temari, so it doesn't really matter.

Now that he's decided, he is tired, and decides that one life-altering answer is enough for one night.

He doesn't like admitting to liking things, but he doesn't like her, so he'll admit it.


End file.
